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Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=2127
A United Front Against Iran
(Israel Hayom) Emily Landau - The critical decisions in 2012 to embargo Iranian oil and level "crippling" sanctions against Iran's central bank have caused the regime a great deal of pain. The talks between the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany have yielded a united front. The tendency for many Israelis to think the newfound vigor against Iran is due to Israeli pressure and a will to prevent an Israeli airstrike is a bit exaggerated. The international push is part of its own dynamic. The U.S.'s determination grew as Iran continued down its path and refused to take negotiations seriously. The stinging International Atomic Energy Agency report in November 2011 brought about almost an immediate wave of sanctions from the U.S. and Europe, without any connection to Israel's threats. Despite the obsession with the question whether Israel will attack or not, one should pay attention to the level of communication and coordination between Israel and the U.S. It is a message to Iran: Israel and the U.S. are very close in their stances. And when coordination extends to Russia as well, things become definitely less convenient for Iran. Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Israel is sure to raise more alarming questions in Iran. The intensification of the sanctions have brought Iran to the negotiating table in a different manner than before. The pressure must be kept on Iran and even increased; the international community cannot blink first. The writer is a Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Arms Control and Regional Security Program at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University.